Why Literary Journals Should Choose Self-Publishing

Literary journals are immensely popular nowadays. They provide writers with an outlet for their art. They make good writing easily accessible for readers everywhere. Many literary journals are online only, but the ones who publish print books can create beautiful, inspiring works of art. Running a literary journal can be quite successful, too, if it’s gains enough popularity, and if production costs are low. One way that literary journal editors can ensure success is by self-publishing their collection.

Why are literary journals so popular?

Literary journals are a nice way for writers who aren’t ready to write full-length novels to get published. Short stories, poetry, and creative nonfiction are exceptional outlets for creativity, and some authors choose to only write shorter pieces. Short fiction, poetry, and nonfiction allot for immensely rich and meaningful publications. It’s a good way for writers to get their name out there and gain a following. With the rise of the Internet, these journals are even more popular, with a large chunk choosing to only publish only. However, for those who go the extra mile and produce print publications, POD publishers are a wise way to go about it.

Literary journals and self-publishing just go hand in hand. Though it’s not a full-length novel by one writer, self-publishing is an excellent way to print a journal. It’s just like self-publishing a book poems, just with many different authors. A print on demand publisher, like DiggyPOD, ensures a beautiful product for literary journals while allowing them the freedom to print the exact number of books they need for a very reasonable price. Besides, when choosing a printer like DiggyPOD, these journals will also have the freedom to design the journal how they see fit.

Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing

Literary journals are incredibly independent. They’re created by their editors specifically to allow writers whose voices have yet to be heard to be heard. Most of these editors themselves, if the journal isn’t very big, aren’t paid at all. Keeping this in mind, it would be much wiser for them to self-publish rather than going to a vanity press or a traditional publisher. With self-publishing, there are no contracts to sign and the costs are low. And, whatever money the journal makes in sales, the editors and writers get to keep all for themselves.

Self-publishing, since its onset, has been about allowing voices to be heard: voices that had been kept out of traditional publishing, voices that needed to be heard. Literary journals have dedicated themselves to that same task. Why should the two not pair up, then?

It seems that the more self-publishing grows and establishes itself, the more it becomes obvious how many people the industry can help. Self-publishing really is the smartest choice for everyone. As it continues to become more and more popular, there will be a shift away from vanity presses and traditional publishing, as writers and editors begin to pursue a more independent way to make their dreams a reality.

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Why Literary Journals Should Choose Self-Publishing was last modified: March 24th, 2017 by Hannah Gordon